Three Mistakes
by ImaginedElegance
Summary: How could anyone stand being this empty? When Dally loses the only person he's ever loved, he's prepared to end his life. On that night, he makes three small mistakes that completely disrupt his plans.
1. Chapter 1

**AN - so this is an idea I've been thinking about for a while now and I've finally decided to follow its lead. I really hope you guys love it and that you'll give it a review. Enjoy!**

The whole thing with Johnny had crushed the life out of him. His lungs gave up that day. That god-awful day in the cold-hearted hospital. They must've known. Must've realized that the only person he had ever cared about - like, _really_ cared about - was dead. So he didn't need to breathe anymore.

He lost it in front of Pony. That was his first mistake. He should've stayed cool... You just couldn't fall apart like that when somebody was watching, else they would try to help. And he really didn't want help - or even need it. He was fine. He was a little emptier, a little less...stable. But he was alright. So what if his body was shutting down? Lungs didn't need to pump in air. Hearts didn't need to beat.

Well, if he was being honest, he would admit that his mind probably wasn't doing so great either. But he knew he was just fine. Hell, he was pretty happy, too. He had every right to be cause he knew he was gonna see Johnny real soon. He just had to think of something good. If he was gonna die, it had to be dramatic enough. It had to be remembered.

Couldn't stand the thought of being forgotten. It was all so unfair. Not that he'd expected any different. But he'd hoped that maybe... Well, he'd hoped that maybe he could be a hero. Like Johnny. He knew it was stupid, that he would die without redemption. But it really wasn't fair. He'd helped those kids, too...

The world thought he was a dirty hood. If he couldn't change their minds, he might as well prove them right. He had lived with a gun in his hand and a curse on his lips. And that was how he meant to die.

His second mistake was calling Darry before he had carried out the first stage of his plan.

"Meet me in the lot. Ten minutes, okay?"

"Dally?" Darry's voice was heavy with concern. "What's goin' on? Is this about Johnny?"

"No, course not," he replied, glancing around hurriedly as if he expected Darry to show up out of nowhere and physically restrain him. He really wanted to be on his way already. He could be dead before dawn if he stopped wasting time on the phone. "Just go to the lot."

But Darry was persistant. "Listen, I know you ain't comfortable talkin' 'bout your feelings and all... But we're real worried for ya. We just lost Johnny. We won't lose you, too."

Dally swallowed hard before answering. How did Darry know? "What're ya goin' on about? I'm fine," he said, laughing strangely. It was hollow rather than bitter. And he knew that had been a mistake as well.

"You don't sound fine," Darry said. There was some background noise. Must've been the others wanting to know what the whole conversation was about. But Darry ignored them and kept talking. "Dally, we want ya to come home. Please? Besides, I really need to tell ya somethin'. And it has to be in person, ya know?"

Reluctantly, Dally agreed. He hung up the payphone and started walking down to the Curtis' place. Maybe he should've gone on with his plan anyway. But he was curious, barely able to keep his mind from wondering what Darry wanted to tell him. Sure, the gun still weighed heavily in his mind as well as in his pocket. It seemed to call less urgently, though. Kinda like it was telling him that it could wait. And the heater was right - guns were always right... Tomorrow would be a new day, a new opportunity to kill himself. His suicide didn't _have_ to be tonight. He just didn't want to keep Johnny waiting.

But he had this weird feeling as he arrived at the Curtis house. For some reason - a real stupid reason - he felt like Darry had just saved his life...

 **AN - I'm not sure if I want this to be only a one shot... I'll leave that up to you guys, I guess. Just tell me in your reviews if you want another chapter or if it's good how it is. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN - well, you guys asked for it so here's another chapter. please give it a review so that I know if you guys liked it or not. also wanted to thank my reviewers and followers for making me feel loved and inspiring me to keep writing even when it's hard. Thanks so much! :)**

Buck's place always smelled like cheap beer and cigarettes - the stuff Dally was used to. The Curtis house, though, it always smelled real nice. Window cleaner and chocolate cake, mostly. Sometimes there was a hint of the cheap beer scent, but only when Two-Bit was hanging around.

It was pretty late when Dally finally showed up on the doorstep. He noticed how all the lights were still on and couldn't help but think that he had really screwed up. The thought of Darry scolding him in front of the gang was nearly enough to make him turn right around.

 _Superman ain't my dad_ , Dally thought bitterly. _And even if he was, no way in Hell would I do what he says. He don't own me._

But he opened the door anyway, storming straight into the living room. They were all there, except Johnny, of course... He felt a painful twinge in his chest at the thought. Didn't let it show cause that would've been another mistake and he'd already made plenty that night.

"Hey, Dally," Soda said. His voice was too casual. He must've known. "Whatcha doin' bustin' into my house this late?"

"Lay off 'im, Soda," Ponyboy said before Dally could defend himself. "He got feelin's too, ya know. Don't look like it, but he do..."

Dally forced a scornful laugh, short and biting. "Ya'll give me too much credit. I ain't here to cry with you. Just wanna hear what Darry gotta say, then I'm leavin'."

Darry had been sitting quietly, watching the exchange from his armchair. All five sets of eyes turned on him and an expectant silence filled the room.

"Well I ain't sayin' nothin' with you guys all watchin' me. Give us some space, would ya? I'm sure Dally don't want you to hear."

Grumbling, the boys got up and went outside. Dally watched them go, heart pounding erratically. It was just him and Darry now. Whatever the oldest Curtis brother wanted to say... it must've been real serious.

"Sit down, Dal."

 _Shit. Now I've done it_ , he thought as he sat on the couch. _I shouldn't have called him._

"Well? Whatcha want?" he asked, easily masking his discomfort. "I got places to be."

Darry didn't reply right away. He seemed to be steeling himself for the impossible task of telling Dallas Winston something he didn't want to hear.

"Your dad stopped by," Darry said at last. "Told me to tell you that he don't wanna see you no more. He changed all the locks on the house and pawned off everything you left there."

Dally leaned back into the pillows. His lungs had only just started working properly, but now they were screwing up again. With a little difficulty, he kept his breath even. Maybe Darry wouldn't realize how bad he was feeling. Sure, he hated his dad and his dad clearly hated him back. But sometimes he had no other choice but to sleep in his old room - everytime he fought with Buck, for instance. He'd also stored extra guns, switchblades, and cigarettes there. Those were all gone now and he only had a half pack currently on him. Which sucked cause those wouldn't even last a day the way Dally used them.

"That's just fine. I'll stay at Buck's, like always." He pulled out a cigarette and searched his pockets for a lighter. It must've fallen out during the rumble, though, cause he couldn't find it. "You got a light, Dare?"

"You ain't smokin' in here," Darry replied, frowning in that stern way of his. He was silent for a while. Then he stood up and moved to sit with Dally on the couch. "I'm sorry..."

Dally shrugged. "Don't worry 'bout it. Like I said, I'll go to Buck's."

But Darry was shaking his head long before Dally had finished. "Buck ain't good for you. I want ya to stay here instead."

"No," Dally said, standing and walking toward the door as if he meant to let the gang back in. Or maybe he was only trying to escape. But then he turned around, face flushed pink with anger. "And quit tellin' me what to do! You ain't allowed to decide what's good for me."

His voice was elevated in both tone and volume. He was seeing red. The gun in his pocket was real heavy, too. Like it was begging for attention, to be used. He almost considered pulling it out on Darry. And that scared him more than anything. Darry was his friend...

Sure, it wasn't loaded, but... Well, he shoved the thought aside and managed to keep his cool.

"Darry, I get what you're tryin' to do. It's nice and all, but I don't need it." He returned to his seat on the couch, forgetting the gun. "I'm okay. I don't care that my old man don't love me, ya know? So you don't gotta take his place."

"Just stay a couple days," Darry insisted. "I think it would be good for Pony..."

That made Dally think. Ponyboy was probably hurting just as much as he was. Poor kid. And Darry seemed to think that Dally could help, so maybe...

"Alright. Three days and you let me smoke inside."

Darry hesitated. "Deal."

"And Darry?" Dally asked.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I ain't your new little brother or nothin', so don't go treatin' me like it."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN - this was actually supposed to be part of the previous chapter, but it was getting too long so I figured I should separate it (even though the two chapters are gonna be published at the same time). Anyway, please review and I hope you enjoy the end of this story!**

The next evening, it was just Dally and Ponyboy. Darry and Soda were both working late, so they wouldn't get home for a while yet. Dally sat in Darry's armchair, staring blankly at the television and feeling like he was under house arrest while Pony sat in the kitchen, writing some essay for school.

The kid got up and approached real slow. Probably was reluctant to disturb Dallas Winston. Everybody knew that that was the quickest way to get your ass kicked around here. But Pony must've been thinking he was brave cause he opened his mouth anyway.

"I'm real glad you're here."

"Whatever, kid," Dally replied.

Pony flinched a little. Didn't stop him, though, cause his mind was already set. "C'mon, get up. I got somethin' to show you."

And since beating the kid wasn't an option, Dally stood and followed him outside.

The first thing he noticed was how cold it was. He should've grabbed his jacket. Pony was talking and he nodded like he was listening even though he couldn't actually hear over his own thoughts. He glanced at the kid, but his gaze soon shifted away, drawn by the vivid colors he'd just noticed in the sky.

Bloody red - a color he was too familiar with - passing into a gold that eventually gave way to deep purple bruises. From there, the sky was dark blue with black not far beneath it. Blue was kind of a sad color and black... maybe that was the end of everything. Maybe that was where Johnny was.

"Johnny wanted you to see one," Pony mumbled, breaking into Dally's thoughts. "He said it would...help..."

Dally couldn't think of anything to say in return. Truth be told, the sky had really pulled him in and he wasn't able to get away. But he felt at peace somehow, knowing that Johnny might've once stood right where he did and had seen the same thing. Maybe Johnny wasn't gone after all. He was standing there with his two closest friends. And Dally saw him in all the colors of the sunset.

The red was his love, his compassion. The purple was every bruise he'd ever received, his scars, his pain. Blue cause he wasn't afraid to cry and black for the eternal peace he deserved.

Gold. Dally smiled in spite of himself. Everything Johnny was, everything he'd ever done, was gold.

Pony had made him understand that. He knew he deserved no credit for his realization cause Dallas Winston would never just look at a sunset on his own. Watching the sun set wasn't tough. It was a waste of time. Until he was finally shown one and he suddenly found that he could somehow connect with Johnny through them.

Staying at the Curtis house wasn't so bad, actually. He almost wished he could live there forever. But he knew he'd have to leave once the three days were up cause his reputation was at stake and he didn't want anyone thinking he'd gone soft.

"Whatcha think, Dal?" Pony asked, grinning. "Ain't sunsets great?"

"Whatever, kid."

He'd just enjoy them in private from now on...


End file.
